Kaya is adopted, multiracial, grieving the death of her father—and carrying a painful secret. Feeling ill at ease with her family and in her own skin, she runs away repeatedly, gradually disappearing into a life of addiction and sex work. Meanwhile, her sister, Beth, escapes her own troubles with food and a rediscovered talent for magic tricks. Though both girls struggle through darkness and pain, they eventually find their way to a moment of illumination and healing.
This powerful YA novel is rooted in the tragic life of the author's sister, Sarah, a victim of serial killer Robert Pickton and the subject of Maggie de Vries's Governor General's Literary Award-nominated memoir for adults, Missing Sarah. Sarah's tragic experiences inspired the character Kaya, as well as an adult sex worker she meets on the streets. Vancouver's missing women form a chilling backdrop for the story.
